Western Australia allrounder Cameron Green is hopeful of making his long-awaited return to bowling in Friday's Sheffield Shield clash against Tasmania.
Green, 21, has not bowled in either a domestic or club fixture since November 2019 due to lower back concerns. He has had multiple stress fractures in his lower back dating back to junior cricket and the WACA have been ultra-conservative with him since his most recent fracture late last year.
He has been bowling over the winter and has been making some technical changes with WA bowling coach Matt Mason and he is hopeful of finally bowling in a game this week.
"I'm having a bowl today," Green told RSN Radio. "I'm having a couple more sessions before game day. Hopefully maybe a couple of overs this game but if that doesn't happen, hopefully, the game after. But it will only be a handful of overs I would say."
Green has two five-wicket hauls in Sheffield Shield cricket and both have come against Tasmania, including 5 for 24 on debut as a 17-year-old.
But since being unable to bowl, Green has established himself as one of the best batsmen in the Sheffield Shield scoring 929 runs at 84.45 in nine games including four centuries.
His career-best 197 against New South Wales last week has put him firmly in the Test selection frame but Green is determined to keep his head down.
"I'm going okay," he said. "I haven't really gone through a bad patch since I scored my first hundred so I'm just going with the wave and going with the flow of doing well and for some reason, it's just paying off at the moment but I'm trying to keep a level head.
"Cricket doesn't owe you anything. As soon as you think you're better than you are, it catches up to you. I'm just trying to keep a level head."